A Greenpeace campaigner holds up a plastic beverage bottle pulled from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2018.Tabor Wordelman

The ocean has always been a major part of 16-year-old Hannah Testa’s life. She enjoys visiting the beach and says that seeing the ocean calms her down. But six years ago, she realized the extent that plastics were destroying the ocean when she watched a documentary called Plastic Paradise.

"Once I watched that documentary, that really opened my eyes, and I learned the impact it had on human health and endangered species," Hannah tells Teen Vogue. "Knowing that we destroy [the ocean] every day is heartbreaking. My goal has been to spread this message about plastic pollution to reverse that future."

From then on, she has been entirely focused on combating the problem. Hannah, now a sophomore at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, has been petitioning companies to use cups that are more biodegradable, as cups often have an inner plastic lining. She also works with local restaurants to switch from plastic straws to paper straws. About five years ago, she convinced her first restaurant in her community to make that switch.

"I remember when I went to the restaurant and saw paper straws for the first time, I was so excited, knowing I made an impact on the environment and the community," Hannah says.

One of the biggest causes of plastic pollution is single-use plastics, such as throwaway plastic bags and straws. Plastic beverage bottles can take 450 years to decompose, if not longer. There has been greater awareness on this issue in this past year. For example, California became the first state to ban plastic straws from restaurant tables unless customers ask for it. Seattle became the first American city to ban single-use plastic straws and utensils. Companies like Starbucks, Aramark, and American Airlines have vowed to stop or significantly reduce the use of plastic straws. Even the European Union has approved a ban on some single-use plastics.

"It’s not something that’s hidden from people anymore," Hannah says. "Hopefully I made an impact on people in the community and maybe educated others. That's kind of what helped keep me going."

Hannah continues to be shocked by what she learns about the impact of plastics. For example, chewing gum often has plastics inside it, so if you want to chew gum, you can buy plastic-free gum. Smoking, which not only has deadly effects on lungs, also contributes to plastic waste, as the filters inside cigarettes have plastics inside them.
"Every single cigarette thrown out a car window, that also remains for [up to 10] years. A lot of people don’t talk about it,” Hannah says.

In addition to spreading awareness in her community and working with local businesses, Hannah started working with politicians, including Georgia state Democratic senator Nan Orrock and Republican senator Renee Unterman to proclaim February 15 as Plastic Pollution Awareness Day in the state of Georgia. Environmental issues, Hannah says, are not a Democrat or Republican issue — they're global.

Her advocacy has taken her around the world. Her most recent destination was Bahrain, a nation in the Arabian Gulf, where she spoke at the Youthfull Festival about plastic pollution. The festival focused on educating young people about the United Nations' sustainable development goals, which includes greater environmental awareness. The crown prince of Bahrain and world leaders attended.

Sometimes, Hannah says, people don't take her seriously because of her age, especially when she meets with politicians and big businesses. That's one challenge she has to overcome.
"They don't expect much from me, but hopefully walking out, they realize they’re wrong and that young people do have a voice and can make an impact," Hannah says. “The more I persevere, the more I get my voice out there. That’s one of the most important things to remember. No matter how many people bring you down, there are so many people to bring you up."

Advertisement

For people who are trying to reduce their use of disposable plastics in their everyday life, Hannah has some tips. If you go shopping, use reusable bags. If you don't need a straw at a restaurant, say "no" to waiters when they offer you one. There are alternatives to plastic straws as well: paper, glass, and metal straws. Use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic one. And when going to a fast food restaurant, bring your own utensils, instead of using disposable plastic ones.

"There are utensils I take around everywhere in my set," Hannah says. "A straw comes with it, and also a fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks. You can get that on so many websites."

Besides plastic pollution, Hannah has also been working on projects related to animal rights. She's thinking about going into politics or marine biology, but whatever she does, she hopes to have a career where she can make a positive impact on the world and make her voice heard.

"A message for young people is to never give up," Hannah says. "If you dream it and believe it, you’re already halfway there.”

For more information on the global plastics crisis, read the rest of the Plastic Planet series.